4. Pad Thai – Thai-Style Stir-Fried Noodles

Ingredients

• 150 gm rice flat noodles
  
  100 gm chicken / prawn or paneer
  
  4 Tbsp vegetable oil
  
  1 cup chopped green onion
  
  4 Tbsp palm sugar (or 2 Tbsp regular sugar)
  
  6 Tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce
  
  2 eggs
  
  1 cup bean sprouts or chopped cabbage
  
  2 Tbsp chopped garlic
  
  2 Tbsp chopped shallots
  
  1 cup sliced fried paneer
  
  4 Tbsp tamarind paste
  
  Cabbage, Bean sprouts, Green onion, Coriander leaf, lime wedges, groud roasted peanuts and ground dried red chilly for garnish.

Method

Soak noodles in lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes till soft.


Heat veg oil over low heat and fry the garlic and shallots till fragrant.


Add chicken/prawn or paneer and stir fry till cooked.


Break the eggs into the wok and mix well.

Add noodles, fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste and stir until noodles are tender and well mixed. 

Add bean sprouts and green onion while stirring constantly.

Serve topped with garnish. 

****Serve hot and fresh***                                                                                 [source: Internet]

3. Braised Plantain with Thai Spices ||

Plantains cooked with shallots and a saucy paste of bell peppers, coconut, jaggery, tamarind pulp and seasoning. Accompanied with noodles or rice..

Ingredients

2 green plantains

2 Tbsp oil to fry

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

8 shallots

1 tsp minced ginger

Salt to season


To grind: 

1/2 each green and red bell peppers

20 ml coconut milk

2-3 green chillies

Small bunch coriander leaves

1/2 a grated coconut

1 tsp cumin seeds

20 gms jaggery

30 ml tamarind pulp

20 gms lemon grass

2 lime leaves

100 gms peas

100 gms baby brinjals

Juice of 1/2 a lime

7-8 basil leaves

Salt & pepper to taste.

Method

Make a wet paste with the bell peppers, green chilies, coriander leaves, grated coconut, cumin seeds, jaggery and tamarind pulp.

Peel the plantains and soak in salted water.

Pat dry, add a pinch of turmeric and red chili powder.

Fry for 5 minutes in a hot pan, drain off excess oil and set aside.

In the same pan, add the shallots and ginger and sweat.

Add the wet paste and fry well.

Add a little water or stock to create sauce.

Add the plantains and simmer till they are cooked perfectly but not mushy.

Serve with noodles or rice.

Key Ingredients: Plantain, Vegetable Oil, Turmeric, Red Chilli, Shallots, Ginger, Salt, Bell Pepper, Coconut Milk, Green Chillies, Coriander Leaves, Desiccated Coconut, Cumin Seeds, Jaggery, Tamarind, Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime, Green Peas, Eggplant, Lemon Juice, Basil.

[Source: Internet]

2. Corn Cakes with Sweet Chilli sauce ||

Ingredients  

[For the Corn Cakes]

1 cup sweet corn - boiled and crushed

1 tsp thai coriander root

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp white pepper corn

 

1 Tbsp sugar

Salt - to taste

1 tsp thai seasoning sauce

1 tsp soya sauce

3 Tbsp - rice flour

Oil - for deep frying

[For the Sweet Chilli Sauce]

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1 Tbsp chopped red chillies

Salt to taste

Method

Take a bowl and mix whole corn and crushed corn properly.

Make a paste of Thai coriander root, garlic and white pepper corn.

Add 1 tbsp of the paste to the corn mixture followed by the sugar and add salt.

Add the seasoning sauce and soya sauce. Add the rice flour for binding.

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Heat the oil in a deep pan.

Make small balls of the corn mixture and deep fry till golden brown.

To prepare the sweet chilli sauce, grind all the ingredients well.

Serve the corn cakes with the sweet chilli sauce.

                                                                                                                                                [source: Internet]

1. Green Papaya Salad ||

                                                          

Ingredients

1/2 green papaya - finely shredded into long strands and soaked in ice cold water

4 garlic cloves

3 small red or green chillies

6 Tbsp jaggery

4-5 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 medium tomato - quartered

3-4 long beans - chopped

2 Tbsp unsalted peanuts - roasted

*You may add more water and jaggery according to taste

Method

In a mortar, lightly pound the garlic, add the chillies and lightly pound again. Add the jaggery, lemon juice and soy sauce, pound to a paste.

Add the roasted peanuts and lightly pound while occasionally stirring with a spoon to prevent the paste from thickening.

Now add the tomato, stir, then add the long beans and slightly bruise them.

Add the shredded papaya, lightly pound and stir until all the ingredients have blended together.

Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with crushed peanuts.

Key Ingredients: Garlic, Red Chilli, Green Chillies, Jaggery, Lemon Juice, Soya Sauce, Tomato, Peanuts, Papaya, Snake Beans.

 [source: Internet]